One Piece: Trainer of Kings

"Pay Day?!"

"Wow, I didn't expect to get this train!"

"Isn't that something Nami would absolutely love?"

Looking at the unusual description of the move in front of him, Akira's expression changed to something between amusement and confusion. The specifications of this technique were certainly... unique.

This move wasn't particularly strong in terms of raw power, but its special effect was undeniably intriguing. The ability to literally make money through combat had obvious appeal to certain personality types he could think of.

However...

"Only 40 base power, and it's a normal-type physical move," Akira muttered, closing the game interface with a slight shake of his head. "It would be a waste of Zoro's time and potential to focus on it right now."

While he couldn't say he was disappointed, free techniques were still valuable additions to their arsenal, but the surprise had definitely diminished somewhat. Whether in the game world or in reality, they hadn't yet reached the point where financial limitations would seriously hinder their progress.

For now, Pay Day could be considered a situational tool rather than a game-changing ability. Perhaps its only real significance would be to eventually attract Nami's attention and help her recognize his authority as a trainer...

But all that would have to wait until they dealt with the Arlong Pirates. Until the knot of pain and despair in her heart was properly untied, Nami would never truly give her loyalty to anyone, no matter how much treasure they offered.

Without wasting any more time analyzing the move's limited applications, Akira led Zoro directly up the rocky slope to the entrance of Mt. Moon's cave system.

As soon as they crossed the threshold into the shadowy interior, two striking figures appeared before them like characters from a comedy sketch.

A man and a woman stood together, one with long, flowing pink hair that seemed to defy gravity, the other with short, pale blue curls that caught the dim light of the cave. Most noticeably, both wore crisp white uniforms with a large red "R" emblazoned across their chests.

"Team Rocket!" Akira's eyes lit up with recognition and barely contained excitement.

He had already met these two during his adventures with Luffy, and he knew that in the near future, this iconic duo would contribute substantial experience points to Zoro's development. They were walking, talking growth opportunities!

"What a pleasant surprise!"

Inside the echoing chambers of the cave, Musashi and Kojiro were engaged in what seemed to be a heated argument about something, their voices carrying the familiar tone of partners who'd been bickering for years.

However, it seemed that their discussion had not yet reached the inevitable stage of battle. The moment they noticed Akira and Zoro approaching, the two members of Team Rocket immediately spun around and fled deeper into the cave system with obvious alarm.

"They're running away?" Akira watched their retreating forms without the slightest hesitation, then turned to his swordsman companion with firm authority.

"Let's go! Let's go after them and see where this leads!"

The game world operated under more complex rules than simple programming; NPCs didn't just disappear the moment they left the screen. But at the same time, if they lost track of Team Rocket, it could be extremely difficult to find them again in the labyrinthine corridors of Mt. Moon.

Besides, Pokémon encounters were plentiful throughout the mountain. Following Team Rocket would allow them to navigate toward the cave's exit while gaining experience from wild battles and trainer confrontations.

"Understood!"

Zoro, who had become accustomed to following Akira's tactical decisions, replied immediately. Without further discussion, the two young men set out in pursuit of their fleeing targets.

To avoid losing the trail, Akira made the strategic decision to let Zoro handle most of the encounters on his own as they encountered various trainers along the way. This approach sacrificed potential command experience bonuses, but maintaining contact with Team Rocket took precedence over optimizing each battle.

Even with this less efficient training method, Zoro's experience rate was remarkable. After only thirty minutes of cave exploration, he successfully broke the 2,000-point experience barrier!

Progression was nearly twice as fast as their previous Route 3 adventure, largely due to the higher concentration of trainers in the confined spaces of Mt. Moon. The underground environment seemed to attract significantly more challenging opponents than the open wilderness areas.

Finally, with only fifteen minutes of battery power remaining, they managed to catch up with Team Rocket while simultaneously discovering the correct route through Mt. Moon's complex cave system.

"Whew~ Thank goodness we didn't lose them," Akira muttered to himself, the relief evident in his voice. "Otherwise, with Zoro's directional challenges, we'd probably be wandering around these tunnels for hours!"

He pushed forward without pausing, and immediately encountered a black-uniformed Team Rocket grunt who, like all the previous trainers they'd encountered, stepped into their path.

"This area is off-limits to children!" the grunt declared with practiced authority.

"Take care of him, Zoro!" Akira ordered without ceremony.

With the console's power running dangerously low, he wanted to get through Mt. Moon's story as efficiently as possible before their session ended.

"Gladly!"

Zoro's predatory grin flashed in the dim light of the cave as he executed his technique with devastating precision. "Ittoryu Iai: Shishi Sonson!"

The blade sang through the air like a silver streak, and the grunt's level-12 Drowzee collapsed before it could even register the attack.

Then came the second Team Rocket operative... the third... the fourth...

Four consecutive grunt battles successfully added over 300 experience points to Zoro's growing total, though the encounters consumed nearly five precious minutes of their remaining time.

At the last moment, they spotted a scientist carefully studying two ancient fossils with obvious fascination.

Akira stepped forward and initiated the conversation, leading to another straightforward battle that added nearly 200 experience points to Zoro's development.

Now Zoro's experience had reached an impressive 3,025 of the 4,447 required for his next level.

He was only 1,422 points away from his next major upgrade.

Unfortunately...

It seemed that this particular level advancement would have to wait for another game session.

"What a shame!" Akira sighed with genuine regret after defeating the explorer.

However, his disappointment quickly turned to satisfaction as he claimed both fossil specimens. In this expanded version of the game world, there was no artificial limitation forcing him to choose between the Helix and Dome fossils; both ancient treasures went directly into his inventory.

But just as he had finished storing the precious items, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the passage behind them.

"Who goes there?!" Zoro's hand moved instinctively to his sword hilt, his warrior instincts kicking into high gear.

The three Team Rocket members they'd been following throughout the cave system emerged from the shadows and positioned themselves dramatically in the center of the chamber.

"Since you asked so sincerely!"

"We tell you graciously!"

Kojiro and Musashi struck elaborate poses in front of Akira and Zoro, their movements as theatrical as any stage performance.

"To save the world from destruction!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Musashi!" "Kojiro!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at light speed!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

With Meowth's signature interjection, the iconic trio completed their legendary introduction.

"Uh... what exactly..." Zoro stared at the spectacle in sheer bewilderment.

Even after he'd gotten used to the various eccentric behaviors he'd witnessed in this strange world, this particular display left him completely speechless.

But Akira, witnessing the famous scene once again, felt his lips curl into an appreciative smile.

"You're incredibly lucky, Zoro!"

"You don't get to see a performance like this every day!"

"Hehe..." Zoro's eye twitched in obvious discomfort. "I hope I never have to witness an opening speech like that again. I feel second-hand embarrassment just watching it."

"So..."

Clang!

The sound of steel being drawn rang through the cave as cold sword light suddenly flashed. The blade left its scabbard in a fluid motion, its polished surface reflecting the eerie illumination of the cave.

"They are enemies, right?" Zoro tilted his head toward Akira, his voice filled with dangerous anticipation.

"Absolutely!" Akira checked the power levels on the console and nodded immediately after confirming that they had enough power for Zoro to handle the Team Rocket trio.

"Feel free to cut them down without hesitation!"

"Just what I wanted to hear!"

Clang!

Zoro drew the snow-white Wado Ichimonji and placed it between his teeth with practiced ease. His other two hands simultaneously unsheathed his remaining katana, the trio of blades catching what little light filtered through the cave.

Santoryu stance, ready for battle!

At that moment, Team Rocket's theatrical introduction finally came to an end.

Musashi and Kojiro simultaneously threw their Poké Balls at Zoro, the orbs bursting in flashes of crimson light.

In an instant, two Pokémon that perfectly embodied their villainous nature materialized before the swordsman.

A Level 15 Koffing floated ominously in the air, its spherical body radiating poisonous energy, while a Level 15 Ekans coiled on the rocky ground, its serpentine form ready to strike.

"So these are my opponents?"

"They look stronger than the other Pokémon we've faced," Zoro observed with casual interest, his analytical gaze studying both creatures.

"But they're still not nearly strong enough."

The next second, his form simply vanished from his position, moving at a speed that made him invisible to normal perception. He flew toward the opposing Pokémon like a living projectile of steel and determination.

Three distinct flashes of cold light cut through the dim cave atmosphere, each blade following a precisely calculated trajectory designed to overwhelm any defense.

"Santoryu: Tora Gari!"

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Multiple slashes appeared on both Pokémon's forms in rapid succession. If the game world's mechanics hadn't prevented graphic violence, Akira suspected that this single attack would have been enough to completely dismember both opponents.

Their health bars immediately dropped to zero.

Without any surprise or struggle, Team Rocket, the supposed final bosses of Mt. Moon, fell before Zoro's overwhelming skill and power.

"What a disgusting feeling!" they shouted in unison, delivering their classic defeat line.

After this traditional declaration, all three members of Team Rocket fled the scene in obvious panic, their dramatic exit as theatrical as their entrance.

Zoro's experience total increased by over 200 additional points as a result of the victory.

However, the console's battery indicator clearly warned that their time was almost up, which meant that today's adventure would have to end here.

After Akira had given Zoro a short explanation about their imminent return to reality, a bright white light suddenly flashed in front of them and brought them back to their respective sleeping quarters.

Under the soft moonlight, everything remained calm and peaceful.

Lying in his narrow bunk, Zoro suddenly opened his eyes and quickly surveyed his surroundings. After confirming that he was indeed back in the cabin of their temporary ship, he sat up with barely contained excitement.

"So..."

"Everything that just happened wasn't a dream?"

He stared at his hands with intense concentration, his mind racing to process what he'd just experienced.

He clearly remembered falling asleep from exhaustion after their brutal training session. That's why, when he first entered the game world, Akira had taken him to the Pokémon Center in Pewter City and let him rest on some sort of miraculous healing device for a few seconds...

After that, his physical strength had been mysteriously restored to perfect condition.

Feeling that his body was in essentially the same state as when he'd left the game world, Zoro became more and more certain that everything he'd experienced was far more than a simple dream.

"Coach?!"

Looking at the star-filled night sky through his porthole, Zoro couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of amazement.

"I never expected to meet someone as incredible as Akira, let alone become his partner!"

His voice grew softer, more personal as he whispered to the darkness:

"Kuina... it seems I'm finally..."

"One step closer to our common goal!"

The promise he'd made at her grave burned brighter than ever in his heart. With Akira's mysterious abilities supporting his growth, the title of the World's Greatest Swordsman no longer seemed like an impossible dream.

It was a goal he could actually achieve.